Lebanese-American ‘Economic Hostage’ Allowed Out of Qatar

A prominent Lebanese-American businessman, who says he spent two years as an "economic hostage" in Qatar, has left the Persian Gulf nation and expects to return this week to his family in the United States.

Forty-seven-year-old Nasser Beydoun joined a Qatari investment group in 2007 to become chief executive officer of the Wataniya Restaurants chain.

The U.S. citizen said in March that he'd been unable to leave for about two years because of a dispute with his former boss, despite prevailing in court proceedings.

Beydoun told the Detroit Free Press newspaper by phone from Lebanon on Monday that "it feels great" to be free. He is staying with relatives in Lebanon preparing to return Friday to Detroit and his wife and three children.

He had sought help from members of the state of Michigan's congressional delegation, who wrote to U.S. and Qatari officials on his behalf.